About Navel Piercings
Navel piercing is an ancient tradition that has gained popularity since the 1990's. Many women choose to pierce their bellybutton as a fun fashion trend. However, a successful piercing requires much consideration. A successful piercing is dependent upon your current health, the professionalism of the piercer, your jewelry and the aftercare of the piercing. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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People have desired to adorn their body with jewelry since ancient times. According to the Navel Rings website, navel rings were worn by the ancient Egyptian rulers, Aztecs and Incas to symbolize social status, accomplishments, coming of age or spirituality. Navel, or belly-button, piercings have become popular in American society again due to the influence of punk culture and the fashion scene. Supermodel Christy Turlington brought navel piercings into the spotlight when she bared her piercing in a London fashion show. Celebrity icons such as Janet Jackson, Cher, Madonna and Christina Aguilera have influenced the navel piercing fashion trend.
Choosing a Piercer
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If you have chosen to get a navel piercing, it is important to research, and carefully choose where to go and who you allow to pierce your belly-button. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) holds strict standards for the members in terms of sanitation, care and customer service so finding a member is a good start, in addition to checking for their license. Also, the shop should be clean and sterilized. Your main concern, as well as your piercers concern, should be preventing the spread of infection. The piercer should wash her hands, use a brand new needle, wear gloves and should never use a piercing gun. If any of these guidelines are not followed, you should not allow the person to perform your piercing.
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Choosing Navel Jewelry
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It is important to carefully choose your first navel ring because it will greatly influence the ability of the piercing to heal. The APP recommends that you do not change the navel ring until it has completely healed, which can take up to a year. The APP recommends initial piercings be jewelry made from metals that have been approved by the International Organization for Standardization and American Standard for Testing Materials (ASTM) for medical implants. Two metals that meet those qualifications are ASTM Compliant Stainless Steel and Implant Certified Titanium (ASTM F-136).
Care
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Your piercer should provide you with guidelines for proper aftercare of your piercing. It is important to read the information she provides, and she should be able to answer any questions you may have. To successfully heal a navel piercing, the area should be properly cleaned and protected from irritants and unsanitary surfaces, such as people's hands, according to Navel Piercings.biz. Non-iodized sea salt, lavender oil and tea tree oil have all been known to speed the healing process. The APP recommends using a vented eye patch on the area to protect it during the healing process. You should monitor your piercing for any unusual amount of bleeding.
Health Risks
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You should monitor the piercing for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, discharge or other complications and consult a physician immediately if you suspect anything may be wrong. Some of the complications associated with navel piercings are allergic reactions to the jewelry, Keloid scarring and tetanus. Unsanitary needles can spread the HIV/AIDS virus, or Hepatitis B and C. Anyone taking medications, or have health concerns that make them prone to infection or slow down the healing process should consult a doctor before undergoing a piercing.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit diamond and silver belly button image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
